


graceless.

by seekrest



Series: febuwhump 2020. [11]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: College Student Peter Parker, Drunk Peter Parker, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony just worries a lot, peter is a good bean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22665937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekrest/pseuds/seekrest
Summary: Before he can even make it down the hall, the phone stops ringing - Tony thinking for a half-second that it was nothing only for FRIDAY’s voice to ring out.“Boss, Peter Parker is attempting to enter the building.”Tony stops in place, a sharp prick of panic before it turns into confusion. “Wait, he’s what? From the front door?”“He is currently at the southeast window attempting to find the edge of the window to open.”
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: febuwhump 2020. [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619581
Comments: 39
Kudos: 498





	graceless.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hailingstars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hailingstars/gifts).



Tony was half-asleep when he got the alert. 

Getting older wasn’t something he really ever thought about much, especially in his youth - living life as hard and as fast as he could take it. 

Even after the end of his reckless partying days, his habit for suiting up in a glorified tin can and flying himself up to space, battling monsters of his own making and titans from other worlds - Tony had always expected that his life would end not with a whimper but with a bang. 

But as he shuffled out of the bathroom, hearing his phone ringing from the other room - Tony put a hand to his back, a slight ache as he made his way back to the bedroom and the cracking of knees and joints reminding him that for as thankful as he was to have survived for as long as he had - that getting older wasn’t nearly as exciting as he’d expected. 

Before he can even make it down the hall, the phone stops ringing - Tony thinking for a half-second that it was nothing only for FRIDAY’s voice to ring out.

“Boss, Peter Parker is attempting to enter the building.”

Tony stops in place, a sharp prick of panic before it turns into confusion. “Wait, he’s what? From the front door?” He asks, turning around and heading away from the bedrooms and back towards the living room. 

“He is currently at the southeast window attempting to find the edge of the window to open.”

FRIDAY’s explanation does nothing to help his confusion, blinking a few times before asking, “Come again? Is he in the suit?”

Though it should be impossible, Tony can’t help but think that FRIDAY sounds almost exasperated as she explains, “Peter is currently making his way towards the balcony, boss. He is not in the spider suit but from my sensors, appears to be inebriated.”

Tony’s not any less confused, walking towards the balcony as the low-grade panic starts to rise - his mind running through several different scenarios for why Peter would be drunkenly trying to visit him in the Tower. 

He’d just spoken to May this morning about planning for Peter’s college graduation party, remembering May’s laughter at Tony’s insistence that things needed to be detailed months in advance. 

There hasn’t been any signs of relationship troubles with MJ as far as he knew, though Tony knew better than anyone how much things can change - wondering if she’d heard back from Stanford law yet, remembering Peter’s mild stress about making their relationship long distance if she chose to attend. 

Tony hadn’t received any messages or reports about a Spider-Man issue, only to remember that Peter wasn’t in the suit - walking even faster to the balcony as he tried to prepare himself for whatever state Peter had found himself in and _why_ he’d chosen to get drunk - something that Tony had imagined wasn’t possible considering the kid’s fast metabolism.

He turns the corner and the doors slide open, bracing himself only to see Peter perched on the balcony - his heart leaping up into his chest at seeing how disoriented he was.

Peter’s sitting on the balcony, legs dangling over the edge and facing the city - glancing behind his shoulder with a dopey smile before saying, “Hey Tony.”

“Hey kid,” Tony says cautiously, taking a tentative step forward with his hands raised - his heart racing at Peter’s precarious position, watching in panic as he sways a little and waves a hand toward him. “You doing okay?”

Peter’s hand turns from a wave and to a thumbs-up, leaning more towards the balcony as if to say something only to topple forward - Tony immediately racing to him before Peter hits the floor. 

Peter for his part, barely catches himself - Tony being thankful that his imbalance led him towards the floor of the balcony and not the city below, hoisting his hands under Peter’s armpits as he lowers him down. 

“Whoa, the floor is moving.” Peter says, sounding almost giggly - Tony’s panic rising when Peter’s finally grounded, moving his hands so that he can study his face. 

He was completely trashed, his eyes blown and unfocused as he smiled back at Tony, seemingly incapable of standing still to the point that Tony takes his chin his hands - searching his face. 

“Floor isn’t moving, kid.” Tony says, anxiety churning in his gut as he tries to understand what would cause Peter to get so drunk in the first place - wracking his brain to figure out what the cause would be. 

Peter seems determined to prove Tony wrong though, shifting his head so it was wrenched out of Tony’s hand as he puts his own hand up. “No, no, no, it’s moving, Tony.” Peter slurs, Tony grabbing at his hand as Peter shakes him off, going to stand.

“It’s moving. It’s like space, you ‘member space?” Peter asks, Tony’s stomach falling as the pieces start to fall into place. He and Peter had plenty of conversations over the years about their fatal trip to space, Tony even encouraging Peter to go to therapy for something that Tony himself should’ve gone to years ago. 

Even if it wasn’t what he’d expected nor did Tony have any kind of inkling for what could’ve set this particular spiral off tonight, Tony just nods as he helps Peter up. “Yeah kid, I remember space.”

“So cool.” Peter says, Tony doing a double take as he stares at Peter - expecting his expression to be pained or troubled but instead finding him to be just as completely blissed out as he was before, smiling at Tony before saying, “I wanna go again.”

“You-- _what_?” Tony asks, Peter nodding so hard that he looked like a bobblehead as he pushes Tony aside, unstable on his feet but strong enough that Tony can’t help but be moved as Peter walks into the Tower. 

“Think I could convince MJ to go with me? I wanna go back.” Peter says as he stumbles in, Tony following behind as he says, “Our last trip _sucked_.” 

“Yeah Pete, I’ll write a review on Yelp. You wanna tell me what’s going on?” Tony asks, the sinking feeling that this _wasn’t_ actually a ‘I-died-in-space’ spiral like he’d thought as Peter shrugs. 

“Whaddya mean?” He flops down on the couch, looking more relaxed than Tony thinks he’s ever seen him - Peter sprawled out with one leg on the floor and another lifted on the couch. 

Tony walks over to him, raising an eyebrow before saying, “You uh, how much did you drink tonight?”

Peter purses his lips comically, snickering for a moment before saying, “I lost count. I wanted to win.”

“Win?” Tony asks, the panic that had been building starting to wane the more he studied Peter. 

Peter nodded as if that was all the answer he needed, only for Tony to prod. “Win _what_ , Pete?”

Peter’s eyes moved from the ceiling towards Tony, the huge goofy smile back on his face as he says, “Beer pong. Delta Phi can _suck_ it.” 

He was dressed casually, no bruising or bleeding as far as Tony could tell - having half a mind to ask FRIDAY to scan him again even if she would’ve told him if Peter was hurt in the first place, the memory of the _last_ time Peter had showed up in the middle night - suit half ripped and wheezing - coming to mind. 

Peter’s eyes were glazed and he seemed disoriented but it didn’t look like it was anything more than the result of exactly what Peter had described he’d done. 

“Did you go to a _party_?” Tony asks incredulously, his confusion growing even more when Peter nodded again - rolling his head back to stare at the ceiling

Tony’s about to ask why when Peter seems to supply the answer anyway, smirking as he said, “Greg from my biochem lab invited me. It was fun, I had fun.”

“Did you?” Tony asks, feeling monosyllabic with his words but knowing that Peter seemed too out of it to handle anything more than a few sentences at a time.

“I did.” Peter smiles, shifting himself so he can sit up - Tony immediately going to help him as Peter smiled even wider back up at him. “College’s fun, you’d like it.”

Tony let out a huff, bracing his hand against Peter’s back. “Yeah, lived through it already, Pete. I’m good.”

His hand moves towards the back of his neck, searching Peter’s face for any kind of hidden emotion and finding none. “You sure nothing’s wrong kid?”

Peter seems to finally register Tony’s concern, frowning as he asks, “Is something wrong? Do you--” he hiccups, “you need help?” He immediately goes to stand, only for Tony to brace both hands on his shoulders - keeping him down on the couch as he quickly shakes his head.

“No, no everything’s fine, Pete. I’m fine, I just--” He lets out a laugh, “Just making sure _you’re_ okay, kid.”

Peter seems to consider that for a second before his mouth makes a little ‘o’, nodding again as he says, “Oh I’m good, Tony. Really, _really_ good. The party was fun. Fuck Delta Phi.” 

Tony raises an eyebrow. “Did they… do something?” He asks, Peter’s expression changing slightly as he shrugs. 

“No not really,” he says, the frown replaced for the grin from earlier, “just wanted to win.” 

Peter actually winks at Tony then, bringing a hand up and shooting him finger guns. “And I _did_.” 

Tony considers it for a beat, his mind trying and failing to grasp that there wasn’t something hidden in what he was saying. “Why’d you want to win?” 

Peter blinks at that for a second, as if the answer was obvious. “Because May didn’t raise a quittter, T’ny.” 

It seems too good be true, the sharp realization that Peter being drunk was for no other purpose than to win at a beer pong contest - the exact kind of normal college shenanigan that he encouraged him regularly to get up to, so long as he was safe.

To Tony’s knowledge, Peter hadn’t really ever gotten wasted before and now over 21 and an adult in the most basic sense - it occurs to him that Peter might’ve just wanted to have some fun in his last semester of college, something that seems so obscenely _normal_ that it makes him curious again.

“Why’d you show up here, kid?” Tony gently asks, watching as Peter’s eyes start to blink more and more - seeing in real-time the way Peter became sleepier before he yawns.

“Party was three blocks that way.” Peter slurs, the alcohol finally settling his system. “Wanted to say hi.”

The tension he hadn’t even realized he was holding in his shoulders finally loosens at that - holding Peter up as he swayed before shaking his head, laughing as he gently pushed Peter back on the couch - shifting him so he was laying on his side.

“You could’ve used the front door.” Tony jokes, smiling at the sleepy smile Peter gave as he brought a finger to his lips, eyes half-closed as he whispered.

“Shhh... su’prise.”

Tony rolls his eyes. “Consider me surprised. Now don’t fall asleep yet.”

Peter lets out a huff, muttering something unintelligible as Tony quickly walked towards the kitchen - getting a glass of water.

When he returns back to the living room, Peter’s eyes are closed - mouth open he breathed heavy, likely seconds away from falling asleep. 

Tony snaps his fingers a few time in front of Peter’s face. “Nope, open up. Let’s get you hydrated before you pass out on me.”

“No hydrat’in I’m spider.” Peter says, barely above a whisper as Tony holds back a laugh - grabbing at Peter’s shoulders anyway.

He brings the glass to his mouth before saying, “ _Half_ spider at least. Come on Pete, I don’t know how hangovers work for you but this should help.”

Peter groans dramatically but seems compliant, taking the glass in one-hand even as Tony keeps a firm grip on it. He doesn’t rest till Peter’s downed at least half, Peter letting out a sigh as he settled back onto the couch.

“Thanks T’ny.” Peter says, Tony grabbing a blanket from the other couch as he smirks and lays it over him.

“Anytime, kid.” Tony whispers, already knowing his words are falling on ears that don’t hear him anymore - the quiet snore already filling the room.

Tony watches him for a beat, the panic that he’d felt earlier completely gone now that Peter was in front of him - sleeping as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

It was a nice feeling, Tony thought - to relax, to see that Peter was safe and whole - that tonight hadn’t been an exercise in chasing away any demons or trying to fill a void where something was lost.

Tony smiled, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly - letting the peace settle over him as Peter’s snores started to fill the air, taking a mental picture of the boy who wasn’t a boy anymore - already feeling nostalgic for the days when he’d been the overeager teenager that he’d been when he met him. 

It hits Tony then that he doesn’t need to take a mental picture, whispering to FRIDAY, “Fri, you mind snapping a photo of sleeping beauty here?”

FRIDAY’s voice chimes in, quiet but with a hint of amusement that she can’t possibly have.

“Already got it, boss.”

Tony smiled, folding his arms as he shakes his head.

“Perfect, let’s add it to the graduation party slideshow. May’ll get a kick out of it.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Life is a funny thing, filled with lots of ups and down. 
> 
> Coincidentally, yesterday was the anniversary of someone I loved passing away so the farewell forever prompt was... really personal.
> 
> Today is more of the former - a reminder that sometimes things aren’t as bad as you think.
> 
> Sometimes things are really okay :) 
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated. [ Come hang out with me on tumblr.](https://seek-rest.tumblr.com)


End file.
